Gravity feed soap dispenser



Oct. 1, 1968 w. H. ALLEY GRAVITY FEED SOAP DISPENSER 2 sheets sheet 1 Filed Oct. 24, 1966 WILLIAM H. ALLEY INVENTOR FIG. 3

Oct. 1, 1968 w. H. ALLEY GRAVITY FEED SOAP DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 24. 1966 WILLIAM H. ALLEY ENTOR United States Patent 3,403,952 GRAVITY FEED SOAP DISPENSER William H. Alley, Summit, NJ. (59 Forrest Drive, Springfield, NJ. 07081) Filed Oct. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 588,981 Claims. (Cl. 31261) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thin, relatively fragile individual soap bars useful for handwashing purposes are issued from a dispenser system composed of an upright housing having an elongated passageway extending therewithin. The lower portion of the soap dispenser is formed to give access to one of the soap bars. The soap bars are positioned within the dispenser by means of two or more support members connected to the lower ends of the walls of the dispenser. At least two of the walls of the passageway of the dispenser are provided with guide members to which the soap bars are slidably engaged in their transit through the dispenser. Most desirably the soap bars and the dispenser passageway have a rectangular configuration. Preferably the soap bars are from 1.5 to 2" in length and from 0.5 to 1.5" in width and have a thickness varying from about to This invention relates to a gravity feed soap dispenser and soap wafers for use therein. More particularly, the invention is concerned with an individual soap wafer dispenser and relatively thin soap bars useful for hand washing purposes.

While the invention is applicable for use in any situation where it is desirable to individually dispense soap articles of a size such as to be readily received in the fingers of the user, the invention is ideally adapted for use in washroom areas. The soap dispenser of the invention is adapted to dispense a single wafer of soap that is of a size that is completely consumed by the user.

With the present invention, the sanitation problem usually encountered with the use of powdered or liquid soap dispensers is avoided as the soap is removed from the dispenser in a single integral piece. Liquid soap dispensers are generally wasteful and unsanitary in that the liquid soap cannot be readily controlled by the user and tends to run off onto surrounding areas. Powdered soap dispensers are similarly wasteful and unsanitary.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dispenser comprises an upright housing having extending therewithin an elongated continuous passageway of essentially rectangular cross-section formed to permit the transit of soap wafers therethrough. The lower portion of the soap dispenser or soap discharge aperture is formed to give access to one of the soap wafers positioned within the dispenser such that the article can be engaged by the fingers of the operator and the article withdrawn laterally from its place in a column or series of soap wafers maintained within the dispenser body. Preferably, the series or column of soap wafers has a substantially vertically extending order with access provided for the removal of the lowermost article of the column of soap wafers.

The means for supporting the column of soap wafers within the dispenser may conveniently consist of two or more soap support members connected to the lower ends of the walls of the dispenser. The soap support members are conected to not more than three of the walls of the soap dispenser and are of a width sufficient to support the wafers within the passageway. However, the support members should not completely enclose the bottom of the passageway. The support members are separated from 3,403,952 Patented Oct. 1, 1968 the lower ends of the walls not connected to the support members by a vertical space substantially equal to the thickness or depth of one of the individual soap wafers thereby preventing the removal of more than one water at a time from the dispenser.

The soap wafers used in conjunction with the present dispenser are of the size sufiiciently large to provide enough soap for the washing of hands. Preferably, the soap wafers are from 1.5 to 2.0 inches in length and from 0.5 to 1.5 inches in width. To assure that the soap wafer will be entirely consumed thereby preventing accumulation of unused soap in the washing area, the soap wafers are relatively thin and have little structural rigidity. The relative thinness of the soap wafer renders it readily soluble in water thereby permitting quick, thorough washing action. Preferably, the average vertical thickness or depth of the soap wafer varies from to inch.

The soap wafer may have a regular fiat surface or may be perforated or have a plurality of regularly spaced indentations. The presence of perforations or other irregularities in or on the surface of the soap aids in its removal from the dispenser. The soap bars may be formed from any of the usual soaps or detergents. Saponified natural fats or oils as well as the well known solid detergent compositions are suitable for use. The soap bar may be impregnated with any of the usual perfumes, abrasives such as pumice or skin conditioning agents such as lanolin.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when considered in connection with the illustration of a specific embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention with the cover in an open position;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the lower portion of the dispenser, part of the dispenser being cut away;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the soap water used in the dispenser;

FIGURE 4 is a detailed perspective view of the top portion of the main body of the dispenser and cover; and

FIGURE 5 is a view of the lower portion of the dispenser showing in detail the method of attachment of the cover to the lower portion of the main body of the dispenser.

Referring now the drawings, and in particular to FIG- URES 1 and 2, the dispenser indicated generally by reference 10 comprises a base portion 11 and a cover 12. When cover 12 is in position on base portion 11 there is presented a housing having a passageway 13 formed therewithin, which passageway extends through the housing the full length thereof and terminates in a soap discharge aperture 14. The passageway as depicted consists of an elongated opening of rectangular crosssection formed from back wall 15, front wall 16-, and side walls 17.

As can be seen by referring to FIGURES l, 2 and 5, the soap discharge aperture is positioned on the lower end of the generally upright housing and is formed from the lower portion of the back wall 15 and side walls 17 in conjunction with soap support members 18. The soap support members are connected to the lower ends of at least two of the walls of the housing and as depicted in the figure to the back and side walls of the housing. The upper surface of the soap support members 18% are separated from the lower terminal ends of the walls not connected to the soap support members (front wall 16) by a space 19 substantially equal to the thickness of at least one of the soap bars 40. The space 19 provides access to at least one edge of the lowermost soap bar positioned within the housing 13 with removal accomplished by laterally forwarding the soap bar from the passageway 13 through space 19. Soap support members 18 are of a width such that they do not extend across the entire lower surface of the passageway thereby providing that a certain portion of the bottom of the lowermost soap bar contained in the passageway is exposed for extraction.

Soap bars 40 are positioned within the passageway 13 by means of guide means or rails 20. At least one vertically disposed guide means is positioned on the inner surface of each of two walls of the passageway. The guide means extend substantially the full length of the passageway and terminate at the point in a plane immediately adjacent the lower ends of the walls not connected to the support members. The termination of the guide means immediately above space 19 permits the extraction of a single soap wafer. The guide means serve to stabilize the light and relatively fragile wafers within the passageway and maintain a constant fiow of soap to the soap discharge aperture 14.

In FIGURE 3 there is depicted a single soap wafer 49. As stated previously, the soap wafer is an essentially fiat, relatively thin object. Each of the soap wafers 4%? are provided with notches 41 that extend perpendicularly inwardly from the soap edge into the wafer to a maximum depth of 0.5 inch and are located in the soap wafer body so as to slidably engage with guide means 23 of the dispenser. The lateral and longitudinal dimensions of the soap wafer as well as the thickness of the soap wafer is determined primarily by the amount of soap required for any particular washing application. The thickness of the soap wafers must be sufiicient such that the soap bar will not disintegrate or warp in storage or during its transit through the soap dispenser and has sufficient structural rigidity to be easily removed from the dispenser through aperture 19. The average thickness of the soap wafer generally varies from to inch.

The precise mechanical arrangement used to attach cover 12 to base portion 11 of the housing 10' is not a critical feature of this invention. One mode for securing the cover 12 to the base part 11 of the housing 10 is depicted in FIGURES 4 and 5. Referring to FIGURE 4, the top portion of cover 12 is secured to the dispenser by simply sliding the cover over studs 21. The lower segment of the cover is maintained in position by slidably engaging tongue 22 into the corresponding groove (not shown) locate-d at the inner surface of the front and side walls of the lower portion of the housing 11.

In operation, a plurality of soap wafers 40 are loaded within the dispenser such that the guide members are engaged within notches 41 of the soap wafers Optionally, the soap wafers may be compacted within the pasageway 13 by means of soap weight 30. The soap weight assures the continuous flow of soap through the dispenser. Cover 12 is then set into place by engaging the cover over studs 21 and tongue 22 within the notch of the lower portion of the housing. The entire mass of soap bars is supported within the dispenser by support members 18. The lowermost soap bar rests on the upper surface of the supporting members 18. The soap bar is widthdrawn laterally from the passageway 13 through space 19. Soap removal is not impeded by guide members 20 as they terminate, as stated previously, immediately above opening 19.

It will be apparent that, while the present invention has been illustrated by a specific embodiment thereof in which the housing has an elongated rectangular crosssection, the shape of the housing may be varied in accordance with the shape of the soap wafers which are to be inserted therewithin. The gravity feed dispenser can be placed in position on a wall or other suitable support using any one of a number of techniques. The soap dispenser is most easily installed at a desirable position with the use of adhesives. Optionally, the dispenser may be provided with suitable locks to prevent pilferage of the soap from the dispenser.

Thus, while the present invention has been described with particular reference to the specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited by that embodiment but its scope is to be defined only by reference to the following appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A gravity feed soap dispenser comprising in com bination:

(a) an upright housing having extending therewithin an elongated continuous passageway formed to permit the transit of soap wafers therethrough;

(b) said passageway terminating at a lower end in an aperture for the discharge of said soap bars;

(c) said passageway comprising front and back walls and two side walls;

(d) soap support members having an upper and lower surface connected to the lower terminal end of at least two of said walls, the upper surface of said soap support members separated below the lower ends of the walls not connected to the support memers by a space substantially equal to the thickness of at least one of the soap wafers thereby defining said soap discharge aperture and providing access to at least one edge of the lowermost water for removal laterally from said passageway;

(e) at least one vertically disposed guide means positioned on the inner surface of each of two walls of said passageway;

(f) said guide means extending substantially the full length of said passageway and terminating at a point immediately adjacent the lower ends of the walls not connected to the support members; and

(g) a plurality of relatively thin soap wafers having at least two notches extending into said wafer, said guide means slidably engaged within said notches, said soap wafers maintained within said passageway by said support members.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said dispenser has a generally rectangular cross-section and said guide means are positioned on the inner surface of the side walls intermediate the front and back walls.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein said soap wafers have an average thickness varying from to inch.

4. The dispenser of claim 3 wherein said soap wafers are of a rectangular configuration and have a length of from 1.5 to 2.0 inches and a width of from 0.5 to 1.5 inches.

5. The dispenser of claim 4 wherein the space separating the upper surface of the soap support members and the lower ends of the walls not connected to the support members is substantially equal to the maximum thickness of a single soap wafer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 688,179 12/1901 Kerr et al. 3l260 2,340,561 2/1944 Renfro 3l242 2,545,042 3/1951 Negus 31261 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

J. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

